Cop In Laquan McDonald Fatal Shooting Wants Murder Charge Dismissed

Meanwhile, judge orders that McDonald's juvenile records are released to attorneys for officer Jason Van Dyke.

Lawyers for the Chicago, Illinois officer charged in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald cried foul Tuesday in a federal court, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Prosecutors charged officer Jason Van Dyke with first-degree murder after dashboard camera video of the White officer firing 16 shots at the Black teen caused nationwide outrage in 2014. The defense team for Dyke claimed in a motion this week that prosecutors’ mishandling of statements by law enforcement officials prompts a dismissal of the criminal case, writes the news outlet:

The motion to dismiss filed by Van Dyke’s attorneys alleges prosecutors “illegally” used protected statements given by him and other officers to the Independent Police Review Authority and the city’s Office of Inspector General.

Van Dyke’s attorney, Daniel Herbert, alleged that prosecutors and an FBI agent presented those protected statements to the grand jury that indicted his client for first-degree murder…Herbert also argued that quotes from those statements had recently been leaked to the Chicago Tribune and that then-State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez shared details from the statements at news conferences.

Judge Vincent Gaughan held off on ruling on the issue Tuesday so the special prosecutor could respond in writing.

The prosecutor Joseph McMahon said he will answer the motion by an upcoming Feb. 3 court date despite Gaughan having released parts of McDonald’s juvenile records to Herbert, reports The New York Daily News.